Chapter 272: "Chiyo-baa VS Sasori...!!" – As Sasori flies through the air towards Chiyo, Sakura grabs his cable and pulls him back towards her. Sakura lets out an audible "Shannaro!" and smashes Sasori into pieces, barely finishing him before the antidote ran out. However Sasori-s chest casket draws the puppets parts back together, reforming him whole. Chiyo pulls in her arm and withdraws a summoning scroll. Swearing she would never use it again, Sasori has forced her hand. Chiyo summons ten puppets, with one puppet for each finger. It’s her ultimate master move, which is said to have brought down a fortress. Sasori removes his second of four back scrolls, and opens a chest compartment to help him summon over one hundred puppets! Sasori states he still can-t believe he was forced by an old and a young woman to go this far to use the technique that brought down a country. Chiyo tells Sakura it’s better to not get involved, but Sakura says she should know her character by now as a student of Tsunade. Standing confidently beside Chiyo, the two kunoichi prepare for the final battle!

Chiyo and Sakura

Chapter 273: "Last Battle!!" – It is a puppet onslaught, as Sasori launches his final attack. Puppets come in from all sides, with Chiyo deftly maneuvering her puppets in defense. Each of Chiyo-s puppets begin to unleash hidden cords, weapons and devices to begin to cut Sasori-s numbers down. The tide of puppets begins to get overwhelming, Sakura does what she can smashing puppets to bits. As Chiyo worries that one antidote makes things dangerous, she gets cut by a poisoned blade! Chiyo yells for Sakura to go after Sasori as she restrains the other puppets. A glowing orb is thrown to Sakura and she hurls it at Sasori. The orb expands to a gaping maw which bites onto Sasori and pins his body to the wall, cutting off his chakra with a seal. Sakura yells for Chiyo to take the antidote, but Sasori isn-t done. The battered form of a fallen puppet rises from the ground with Sasori-s casket implanted in its chest. The two kunoichi react in shock as it rushes with a katana toward Chiyo. With a desperate lunge, Sakura jumps in front of Chiyo, and becomes impaled by Sasori-s blade.

Hatake Kakashi

Chapter 274: "Ungrantable Dream" – Chiyo is stunned by Sakura, who tells Chiyo to take the last antidote. Sasori is amused, and notes Sakura already is trying to promote healing in her stomach. It is pointless though, because the poison will deaden her body. Looking at the two struggle, Chiyo makes her decision. She withdraws the antidote and injects it into Sakura-s leg to the surprise of Sakura and Sasori. Sakura holds firm to the sword, realizing Sasori wants to remove it and cut down the fallen Chiyo. It proves useless though, his puppet arm detaches at the elbow to reveal a hidden blade. Sasori charges for Chiyo and his grandmother makes one final puppeteering act. The father and mother puppets come rushing in with swords from either side, piercing Sasori-s chest casket in a painful mockery of his young flashback embrace. Chiyo tells her grandson that his mind got too focused on killing. Puppet manipulation requires chakra from living tissue and such was housed in his true form, the chest casket. Sakura collapses to the ground and Chiyo moves to close her wound and remove the katana. An immobile Sasori states its useless, the wound is critical and even stopping the poison won-t be enough. Chiyo states she knows medical jutsu would be pointless, so she will not even try. She will instead use a technique she developed just for Sasori, a reincarnation technique that could breathe life even into a puppet. A stunned Sasori looks on, realizing she meant it for his parents. Chiyo sadly states in exchange for granting life, she loses hers in exchange, to which the dying Sasori replies... "how stupid."

Uzumaki Naruto

Chapter 275: "The Reward" – Chiyo finishes her jutsu and Sakura awakens. An amused Sasori asks Chiyo why she isn-t dead yet, she replies Sakura wasn-t dead, so it didn-t require all her life in exchange. Sasori states that was a shame, causing an angered Sakura to slug Sasori across the face. Sasori states her actions do not hurt him, he long ago left his physical body and emotions behind to gain a type of puppet immortality. Knowing his time is at an end, Sasori offers to do them one final useless favor. He states he was scheduled to meet one of his underlings who has been a spy in Orochimaru-s camp. In ten days time they were to meet at a bridge in the Grass Country. And with that, Sasori collapses alongside his parents... dead. Sakura congratulates Chiyo but the older woman wearily states it was not her doing; Sasori hesitated at the last moment and did not avoid the attack. Chiyo then collapses and Sakura tells her they can return to make more antidote, but Chiyo declines, saying she has one final act she needs to do. Elsewhere Deidara flies on, noting Naruto has calmed down. Naruto asks Kakashi if he-s ready, but he states he doesn-t have as much chakra as Naruto. But he says he is getting there, forming a handseal Kakashi reveals a new Sharingan form!

Uzumaki Naruto

Chapter 276: "New Sharingan" – Naruto asks if that-s what he was referring to and Kakashi affirms. Naruto states even if Kakashi fails, he-ll take care of things. Kakashi focuses his eye and activates... Mangekyou Sharingan! This new Mangekyou form focuses on the area around Deidara-s heart and the reality there begins to warp and sway. Deidara is surprised at a Doujutsu attack, and the focus moves from the chest to his right arm. Kakashi curses himself and Deidara-s right arm gets sucked into nothingness. Deidara winces in pain and Kakashi states he-s not skilled enough to properly control it. He begins to focus again and Deidara moves to fly away, Naruto and a Kage Bunshin appear in the air beside Deidara and attack with Rasengan. Deidara jumps off the bird and Naruto cuts off its head, carefully catching it as it falls to the ground. Deidara finds refuge in a tree. Kakashi-s eye returns to the three tomoe Sharingan and a Naruto comes to check on him. The other two Naruto-s peal away the clay to examine the dead Gaara. Deidara states that with two arms gone, jutsu usage is impossible. He is further surprised at a Doujutsu ability on par with Itachi, but the Jinchuuriki wasn-t much. Deidara boasts they may fight again and Kakashi retorts Deidara-s too careless. Right then another enraged Kyuubified Naruto appears from behind Deidara and slugs the Akatsuki member hard across the face.

Hatake Kakashi

Chapter 277: "Ultimate Art Form" – As Naruto falls, he forms four clones to each grab onto Deidara. The clones slam Deidara into the ground and the real Naruto begins pummeling. Kakashi watches on in worry. Naruto forms Rasengan and then slams it home; however Deidara disappears revealing a clay Kawarimi. As a chakra tail grows from Naruto, Deidara watches on from the bushes, marveling at Naruto-s Jinchuuriki gift of strength. Naruto turns feral with a second tail forming, and the Naruto beside Kakashi winces in pain at some internal heat. Kakashi remembers how Jiraiya warned him to use a sealing tag to cut off the chakra before a second tail appears. Kakashi darts to Naruto and slaps the seal on his forehead, quickly weakening the young man. Elsewhere Team Gai has finished off their clones. As Naruto rests, Sakura and a weary Chiyo appear. Naruto welcomes them and Chiyo worries about Gaara only to see him with the Naruto clones. Deidara can-t believe Sasori lost, his overconfidence in his art was his downfall but it was a fitting end. He moves to escape only to be cut off by Team Gai! Deidara bolts and TenTen launches projectiles. He quickly moves to his headless bird and chomps off a huge portion of clay. Deidara then ingests it! Neji sees Deidara focusing chakra to the clay inside and suddenly yells for everyone to move! Team Gai jumps away and Team Naruto watches in horror as Deidara grows huge and explodes!

Gaara

Chapter 278: "The Death of Gaara" – As the explosion expands Neji is fearful they won-t make it. Suddenly the dust settles to everyone-s surprise. Where Deidara stood the surrounding area finishes being sucked into nothingness. Kakashi feels grateful that he somehow made it just in time with his Mangekyou technique. Gai is impressed and Sakura asks Kakashi what he did. He wearily responds he sent Deidara to another dimension. The Naruto-s arrive with Gaara and the teams leave the forest for a nearby grassy field. Sakura checks Gaara and sadly nods that he is gone. Naruto begins to cry and asks why this had to happen to Gaara, right after he became Kazekage. Chiyo asks him to calm down but Naruto yells for her to shut up. He angrily demands to know why they made him a jinchuuriki anyway, why no one ever asked how he felt about it. He states he-s failed two people so far, both Sasuke and Gaara. He could save neither even after his three years of training. Chiyo moves to Gaara and places her hands on his chest, and begins her tensei jutsu. Sakura recognizes the technique and yells to Chiyo but she trails off in sadness. Naruto demands to know what she is doing. Gai and Kakashi recognize her plan but Naruto still demands an answer. Sakura responds that Chiyo is going to bring Gaara back to life!

Chiyo

Chapter 279: "Wonderous Chakra" – Naruto asks in surprise if such a jutsu is possible. Sakura responds that only Chiyo knows it, while Neji contemplates the chakra manipulation. Kakashi watches on with his Sharingan and Chiyo begins to falter. Out of chakra Naruto offers to help, placing his hands over Chiyo-s. Chiyo thinks over how Kakashi spoke highly of Naruto and his character. Chiyo begins to smile and thinks how good it is that there are good people like Naruto in this horrible world the older generations created. Chiyo tells Naruto to become an unparalleled Hokage, and for Sakura to surpass her teacher with her fiery spirit. As Naruto and Sakura listen on in sadness, Chiyo wishes for Naruto to help Gaara. We then go inside Naruto-s young life conception, being surrounded by all his friends and Konoha comrades. Turning from the group the fantasy Naruto bolts away. Elsewhere Gaara is awakening into his own life conception, realizing he has form again. The lonely young Gaara sits alone crying in the desert wasteland. We draw in close and a hand grasps his shoulder. It-s the young Naruto, who morphs into the older reality Naruto. A bittersweet looking Naruto welcomes Gaara back, and Gaara looks around in surprise. Naruto tells Gaara they came to save him. Surrounding the group are scores of celebrating Sand ninja, including Temari, Kankurou and Ebizou!

Naruto and Gaara

Chapter 280: "The Entrusted Wish" – Kankurou and Naruto begin to chide Gaara for causing so much hubbub, so Temari chastises them. The Sand ninja around the group begin to discuss Gaara, talking of strength and handsomeness. The kunoichi’s girly words perturb Naruto but Kankurou tells him girls can be like that. Kankurou thinks back to how Gaara spoke kindly of the way Naruto changed him, so he thanks Naruto. Naruto looks to the fallen Chiyo and says he should thank Chiyo when she gets better. Kankurou sadly tells Naruto how the tensei ninjutsu was developed by the puppet squad to breathe life into puppets, costing the user their life. A stunned Naruto thinks over Chiyo-s previous words, including her wish for him to become a good Hokage. Ebizou looks down on his sister and states she finally looks at peace. Temari tells Naruto he-s unique in that he can change people, he did so for Gaara and for Chiyo as well. She was not someone who cared for the village future, but Naruto changed her to believe that he and Gaara could both ensure a better future. Naruto contemplates she died in the same fashion as Sandaime Hokage, and sadly says he finally understands what she meant. Gaara begins to stand and moves to Naruto-s side and looks down on the fallen Chiyo. The newly resurrected Kazekage then asks everyone to pray for Chiyo. Elsewhere a figure bursts from the ground... it-s Deidara! Deidara is surprised he had to use his self-destructing bunshin, fortunately it provided a convincing enough diversion to allow escape. He then surmises he better look for his lower arm and his ring. Back in the destroyed cave, Zetsu stands over Sasori and his parents. Looking over his fallen comrade in arms, he states it appears to be the real Sasori. A voice elsewhere in the cave yells that Sasori-s ring has been found. Sitting among the rubble is a mysterious figure, fully covered in clothing except for his hair, which sticks out from a mask with a swirling vortex for a face. The young man politely asks if he can finally become a member now that there is an opening. Zetsu yells that it is not that easy, but Zetsu-s alternate personality asks why not and chimes in to say "Tobi" is a good boy. Tobi flicks the ring into the air, but fails to catch it again.